Third Week in December
On Dec. 22, 1944, future Hall of Famer Steve Carlton was born in Miami, Fla. Carlton would make his Major League debut with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1965, but gained most of his fame as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, winning four Cy Young awards along the way. "Lefty" enjoyed his finest season in 1972, when he posted a record of 27-10 with an ERA of 1.97 for the last-place Phillies. In 1983, he wore this cap when he collected his 3,521st career strikeout, tying him with Nolan Ryan in the all-time strikeout chase. In May, Carlton had moved past Walter Johnson for the all-time lead in strikeouts.